Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
On the heels of an OAC championship in 1990, the 1991 season would be the first year of head coach Des Lawless' seven-year reign at the Berg. It was also the year the Heidelberg women claimed their second regular season OAC championship and what would be the first of four regular season OAC titles under Lawless.
Following the 1990 season, the Berg returned five first-team All-OAC performers in goalkeeper Amy Binkley, defender Martha Thomas, midfielder Lynne Kraemer and forwards Holly Bunten and Jenny Koth, along with second-team selection Chrissy Geglein.
The 1991 team nearly outpaced their unbeaten predecessors with an 8-1-0 finish in the conference and a 16-1-0 overall finish. Their only loss of the season came at the paws of the Ohio Northern Polar Bears in a 1-0 contest in Ada.
Statistically, the Student Princes dominated their competition, outscoring opponents a staggering 87-8. The Heidelberg women and Binkley, named All-OAC goalkeeper, recorded shutouts against 10 of their 17 opponents. Three times the Student Princes netted double-digit goals with 13 against Capital, 12 against Hiram and 14 against Bluffton.
The 1991 team set the Heidelberg standard for goal scoring, setting the record for most goals, assists and points in a game. The women own the second-best season scoring average with 5.12 and the second most goals scored in a single season with 87. The '91 team also is tied in second for most shutouts in a season.
Individually, the group of student-athletes from the 1990-1993 era is among the most decorated in Heidelberg history. Trista VanGuilder, who played as a sophomore on the 1991 team, holds the career record for most points (200), most points per game (2.86) and most goals (76). Teammates Koth and Bunten join VanGuilder on the career record list numerous times.
Bunten is third overall in points with 177, tied for second all-time in goals with 64, second in assists with 49 and second in assists per game with 0.71. Koth sits fourth all time in points with 150, fourth in assists with 44 and first in assists per game with 1.29.
The 1991 team shattered most all single-game benchmarks that were set for them. Koth and VanGuilder set the record for most points in a game with 12 and 11 respectively. Koth also holds the record for goals in a game with five against Capital, while Van Guilder is second in most assists in a game with five. Teammate Sue Mash bested Van Guilder later in the season with six assists against Hiram.
Following the 1991 campaign, eight Student Princes earned OAC post-season honors, including first-team selections for Koth, Kraemer and Thomas. Second-team honors went to Binkley, VanGuilder, Geglein, Bunten and Mash. Kraemer also became the first Heidelberg women's soccer player to claim All-American honors with her third selection in '91. Binkley, Koth and Thomas went on to receive Academic All-OAC accolades as well.
(This profile appeared in the Hall of Fame banquet program.)
